While we’ll have to mark this as “developing” for now, Alaska Airlines seems to have plans to launch a newly named lounge concept, beyond its existing Alaska Lounges.
In this post:
Alaska files trademark for “Atmos” lounges
The San Francisco Business Journal reports how Alaska has filed a trademark for the name “Atmos.” According to the filing, this will be used for “airport services featuring transit lounge facilities for passenger relaxation.” One would assume that the word “Atmos” is a reference to the term “atmosphere.”
The trademark filing was made on September 20, 2024, just a couple of days after Alaska Air Group completed its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines.
As a reminder, currently Alaska’s network of lounges are branded as Alaska Lounges, with there being a total of nine lounges at six airports. Alaska is planning on doubling its lounge network over the next few years, by 2027.
Could this be Alaska’s new premium lounge branding?
As of now, all we can do is speculate as to what (if anything) Alaska has planned with its new “Atmos” branding. It’s of course possible that this never ends up being used. However, I suspect there is a plan here, specially given the timing of the trademark filing. If it is used, I could see one of two possible uses for this.
One explanation could be that Alaska Air Group will use the “Atmos” branding across its lounge network. Keep in mind that Alaska Air Group intends to keep both Alaska and Hawaiian branding around, so presumably we’ll see more neutral branding used in general, to cover both airlines. Could Alaska Lounges become Atmos Lounges, or something along those lines, to be more inclusive of both brands?
Another possible explanation is that we know that Alaska Air Group is planning to open a new premium lounge at Seattle Airport (SEA). The airline is turning Seattle into a global gateway, by flying Hawaiian wide body jets on long haul routes, with the first route being to Tokyo Narita (NRT).
The company has announced plans to open a new “flagship” lounge in Seattle by 2027. This will be the carrier’s largest lounge yet, and will serve premium passengers on long haul flights. Presumably access requirements will be different than for Alaska Lounges, so it would make sense for the lounge to be branded differently, perhaps as the “Alaska Atmos Lounge,” or something.
That’s a similar concept to what you’ll find at the “big three” US carriers, with American Flagship Lounges, Delta One Lounges, and United Polaris Lounges.
Anyway, we’ll see how this plays out, but I’m guessing one of the above two explanations is what’s going on here.
Bottom line
Alaska Air Group has filed a trademark for the term “Atmos,” and it’s expected to be used for lounges. It remains to be seen how exactly this will be used. My guess is that this will either be Alaska’s new premium lounge branding for long haul flights, or that we’ll see all Alaska Lounges eventually rebranded.
What are you expecting from Alaska’s use of “Atmos” for lounges?
Instead of branding a new Alaska Airlines lounge as “Atmos,” the Alaska Air Group might consider naming the airport lounge “Staph” to commemorate a notable aviation food poisoning outbreak reported by the Alaska Daily News. The article recounts that on or around January 31, 1975, a cook at International Inflight Catering arrived at work in Anchorage with two lesions—staph infections—on his right hand. International Inflight Catering, partially owned by Japan Airlines (JAL), provided meals for...
Instead of branding a new Alaska Airlines lounge as “Atmos,” the Alaska Air Group might consider naming the airport lounge “Staph” to commemorate a notable aviation food poisoning outbreak reported by the Alaska Daily News. The article recounts that on or around January 31, 1975, a cook at International Inflight Catering arrived at work in Anchorage with two lesions—staph infections—on his right hand. International Inflight Catering, partially owned by Japan Airlines (JAL), provided meals for their flights. Despite his condition, the cook covered the lesions with bandages and did not inform his supervisors. For a second Airport lounge name option, I suggest “Cdiff,” referring to Clostridioides difficile, a bacterium that causes diarrhea and colitis. Colitis is an inflammation of the colon. Most cases of C. diff infection occur after a passenger finishes a course of prescribed antibiotics or shortly thereafter.
Read more:
https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2023/12/17/alaskas-role-in-the-most-stomach-churning-food-poisoning-incident-in-aviation-history/
Will these premium lounges get AS' flights to the gate any faster?
In the latest DOT report, AS trailed DL's on-time at SEA by 10 points and the same margin in SFO compared to UA
and Ben needs to write about Premia's coming to SEA. doesn't bode well for AS.
Another friend for Alaska
Girl stfu, what does that have to do with on time arrivals? Oh right, it doesn’t. You’re just looking for a dumbass reason to bring Delta into the equation.
Since you want to bring Delta into this topic, how about this? Did Delta’s Sky Club and will their upcoming Delta One Lounge make SEA a profitable hub? I’ll answer this for you since SEA is Delta’s failure child that they still have to spoon feed. No. <3
Feel free to provide the data that shows which hubs for ANY airline are unprofitable.
You can't because you don't have it.
However, the DOT DOES provide on-time data for all US airlines and specifically breaks out large hubs which includes SFO and SEA.
DL overperforms AS in SEA by 10 points which is the same margin by which UA outperforms AS in SFO.
It isn't about any airline except AS whose operational performance...
Feel free to provide the data that shows which hubs for ANY airline are unprofitable.
You can't because you don't have it.
However, the DOT DOES provide on-time data for all US airlines and specifically breaks out large hubs which includes SFO and SEA.
DL overperforms AS in SEA by 10 points which is the same margin by which UA outperforms AS in SFO.
It isn't about any airline except AS whose operational performance has fallen.
As for Premia Air, there are people that love to talk about all of the overcapacity in the SEA TPAC market and yet think AS will come out just fine.
the DL/KE JV currently operates all 3 of the flights. Premia and AS will make #4 and 5. AS will have by far the weakest product on their A330.
Premia's entrance to the market is not an insignificant development just days after AS announced its intent to fly to Seoul.
Dolby would perhaps like a word with Alaska, given they've been using Atmos as a brand for their object-based audio for years now.
A proper lounge at SEA is well overdue - the fact that the pathetic BA lounge is the only oneworld-affiliated lounge featuring showers is a sad joke.
Funny, as Atmos was one of the concept monikers for a relaunched premium transcon product at United that was focus-grouped a few years ago
It would make sense for them to launch a premium 'brand' that applies to both lounges and the on-board product (e.g., "Polaris"). For example, I fly in "Atmos class" (and get to use the associated lounge) whether I'm on an Alaska plane from Seattle to Tokyo or a Hawaiian place from Honolulu to Sydney.
So, like Thermos......but different. I bet they had marketing consultants think long and hard (for a ton of $$) about how to come up with such a spectacularly milquetoast and meaningless trademark to use.
@Ben I was at the Aria last month and Chase have a pop up lounge until January with a nod to the new lounge they are opening at LAS next year.
https://www.chase.com/travel/guide/experiences/aria-las-vegas-sapphire-lounge
If the LAS lounge gets catering from Momofuku group that would be insane.
Much overdue. AS lounges are the worst in the industry.
Have you visited a skypub or one of the pre-refresh AA lounges?
lol what? N gates lounge is pretty great.
Definitely! The N lounge is nice for a *domestic*, but is still lacking some attributes for an *international* lounge. For example, there are no shower facilities, no a la cart dining, can be overcrowded…If AS was to build a lounge that has all that (plus more?) at both SEA and HNL, it would help elevate their international offerings to the level of the Big Three. Access might be granted only to those flying in international...
Definitely! The N lounge is nice for a *domestic*, but is still lacking some attributes for an *international* lounge. For example, there are no shower facilities, no a la cart dining, can be overcrowded…If AS was to build a lounge that has all that (plus more?) at both SEA and HNL, it would help elevate their international offerings to the level of the Big Three. Access might be granted only to those flying in international premium cabins, though, so might need to keep that in mind when flying.
Oh my dear Pulani lounge...
Hawaiian would like a word. Absolutely, hands down the worst lounges of any US carrier.